Prevention Services

We strive to foster happy and healthy communities by helping build environments that support behavioral health and equip program participants with the skills that they need to withstand challenges and make healthy decisions. Our services strengthen individuals and their families by offering culturally-informed activities and support shaped by community input, including family and youth activities, academic support, parenting education and resources, and connecting individuals to appropriate resources.

Our Services

A person sitting with poker chips
Youth Gambling Prevention

Our goal in Youth Gambling Prevention (YGP) is to educate the community about problem gambling and offer prevention services to youth. This includes implementing evidence-based curricula and presentations within the community as well as information dissemination.

This year we are participating in a statewide process in which we are interviewing individuals who represent various sectors and culturally specific communities about their community’s knowledge and attitudes around problem gambling and readiness to address it. While we collect data from Multnomah County, other counties are doing the same which will help the state of Oregon develop appropriate strategies based on community readiness.

Substance Abuse Prevention Services

Substance Abuse Prevention Services works to equip youth with the knowledge and skills that they need to make healthy decisions. Program staff provide workshops, evidence-based curricula, and disseminate resources around substance use to youth, parents, and the community at large.

In addition to our community work, Prevention Services is participating in a pilot program funded by Multnomah County in which our primary goal is to address risk factors that can lead to substance use within school settings. Through prevention, youth leadership, and support for schools and parents, this program empowers youth to make healthier decisions.

In our first year we conducted key informant interviews and parent focus groups and partnered with local coalitions while starting to offer prevention activities and classes. We are currently forging strong relationships with local middle and high schools while identifying schools and community programs that want prevention programming and support for youth, parents, and staff. We will be offering evidence-based curricula, positive youth activities, and stand-alone presentations while we continue to distribute information and resources throughout the community.

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At our 2019 DePreist Award for Excellence we highlighted our Prevention Services program. Current VOA Oregon staff member and former Prevention Services participant Umu shared her story with us. To learn more, watch her interview. 

Bystander Intervention Training

We offer a bystander intervention workshop adapted for different ages and environments with the goal of equipping program participants with the knowledge, skills, and confidence necessary to intervene in various situations in ways that are safe, early, and effective. Contact us to learn more about our virtual trainings.

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